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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. last — final
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. date — the fruit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. last — finally
  18. lean — thin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. last — to go on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com